Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/96440
Athletics N Iron romans Three-Sport Athletes B N N y his own admission, playing soccer puts Luca Pasquesi ���10 at a disadvantage. Without it, he could spend more time honing his swimming and water polo skills. For this three-sport athlete, however, sports are about more than being the best. ���Soccer���s always worth it,��� he says. ���I���ve been playing since I was a kid. I love it. After a stressful day, it���s good to be active, run around and blow off steam.��� Once Luca���s mindset was common; high school athletes changed their uniforms with the season. Now, thanks to indoor facilities and club teams, more students choose to focus on one sport and to play it year-round. ���There���s an ongoing trend to specialize, and it���s accelerated over the last 15 years,��� says Latin Athletic Director Tom Bower. ���It���s starting at even younger ages, sometimes as young as lower school.��� 18 chantal heckman Latin Magazine Behind this trend is a belief that children must start early to build the skills necessary to excel. Club teams let students practice against highly competitive opponents, while tournaments accelerate skill development. By specializing, young athletes hope to catapult themselves to success, and maybe gather accolades like college scholarships along the way. Specialization comes at a price, however. Single-sport athletes miss the chance to develop the same versatile athleticism possessed by their multi-sport peers. This flexibility, founded on universal skills like balance and agility, is often more attractive to college and professional coaches in the long run. ���At the highest levels, specialized athletes get passed over by people with more general strengths and a better sense of the field,��� Bower says. ���Well-roundedness is a true athletic gift.��� Skill development isn���t the only perk of keeping a busy athletic schedule. Players find their most rewarding relationships start on the playing field. ���I���ve often wondered if there���s an advantage to being a three-sport